Published
Travel Log 10: Clear Skies Above New Mexico
Having fun at national parks in NM
Our stay in New Mexico came to an abrupt end, but our time there was still fun and we got to see and experience a lot of new things.
Table of contents
- Goodbye Texas
- Carlsbad Caverns
- Living Desert State Park
- Sled Riding on the Dunes
- Arriving at Albuquerque
- Hunting for Petroglyphs
- Up to the Sky
- Returning to Pennsylvania
Goodbye Texas
We left San Antonio, TX and headed for Carlsbad, New Mexico. Most of the 7-hour trip was actually in Texas, only about 45 minutes of the drive was through New Mexico. Apparently, Texas is HUGE.
Between San Antonio and Carlsbad, there isn’t much in the way of civilization. Which made it hard to make pit stops for our small bladdered child. For one stop we ended up at a Dairy Queen because it was less sketchy than some of the other options. But their men’s bathroom was out of order 🤦♂️.
Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad was mostly just a layover for us on our way to Albuquerque. But while there we got to visit the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. I took the older 4 kids and we explored the cave for about an hour.
To get down to the cave you can either hike through the cave entrance or you can take the elevator like we did. It is a 750 foot decent which almost made our ears pop. They have lights throughout the cave so it wasn’t completely black down there and there is a paved path that you follow through the cave. So no danger of getting lost!
It was cool to see all the various rock formations. It was a lot different than our visit to Fantastic Caverns in Missouri. I made sure to keep up a good pace as we walked the cave. And good thing, because Gideon was whisper-singing near the end of the walk.
Also, I should mention that we were able to get into the National Park for free. Well not completely free, we did need to make a $1 per person reservation online. The National Parks Service has a special pass for 4th-graders and their families. And with Emalyn currently in 4th-grade, it was perfect timing. Although she did get a bit nervous having to sign her name on the pass!
Living Desert State Park
Just 5 minutes down the road from our Airbnb was the Living Desert State Park. It is a neat little zoo with local animals and plants. It also had a nice view of the surrounding area since it was situated on a hill. Most of the zoo is open to the surrounding area so you do need to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes and bobcats while walking. Thankfully we didn’t see any out of the enclosures!
While not officially associated with the AZA, they did give us a discount for our AZA membership.
Sled Riding on the Dunes
After our short stay in Carlsbad wrapped up we drove across the Sacramento Mountains to get to White Sands National Park. The trek up the mountains was uneventful because there wasn’t much between Carlsbad and the mountaintop. But, on the other side of the mountain was a breathtaking view. The white sands stood out in the distance as we made our descent.
At White Sands one of the most popular activities is sledding down the white dunes. We rented a few sleds from the gift shop and took them into the park (making good use of the 4th-grade pass again!).
It was a lot of fun being able to sled while wearing t-shirts. It certainly beats sledding in the frigged cold snow! The sand was cool to the touch (I mean, it is February) but it was a beautiful day. The kids had a blast with Katie and I also taking a few trips down the dunes.
Arriving at Albuquerque
The trip from White Sands up to Albuquerque was, yet again, a trip through the wilderness. There weren’t many towns that we passed, but driving between the mountain ranges in New Mexico made for some nice views.
After settling into our Airbnb we went to the local aquarium and botanical gardens. The BioPark aquarium is pretty small, even compared with the Sea Life aquarium in Grapevine, TX. But the kids enjoyed watching the otters and other aquatic life.
After the aquarium, we walked through the botanical gardens. Really we just walked through it to get to the “bug-arium” building. But on the way we went through the children’s fantasy garden. It wasn’t much, but the kids enjoyed walking around the dragon, under the spider web, through the giant pumpkin, and sliding down a log slide. It probably looks a lot nicer in the summer when the flora is more vibrant.
Hunting for Petroglyphs
Just a short ride from our Airbnb is the Petroglyph National Monument. They have multiple different trails to choose from. We took a few of the shorter trails to see the various petroglyphs carved into the rocks.
It was a beautiful day for a hike and the kids had fun seeking the different carvings. Unfortunately, the area has been subject to some graffiti. So sometimes it was hard to tell what was actually a petroglyph and not just someone’s scratchings.
Up to the Sky
Towering 4,000 feet above the city is the Sandia mountain. From the backyard (if you could call it that) of our Airbnb we could see the whole city of Albuquerque with Sandia on the other side. It was a great view. Hot air balloons in the morning, beautiful sunsets on the mountains, and twinkling city lights at night.
One day we got to take the Sandia Peak Tramway up to the top of the mountain to get a breathtaking view of the city and surrounding area.
The ride itself was about 15 minutes one way. You got to see all sorts of views of the mountain itself.
The peak was a little cooler and windier (there was even snow on the ground). At the observation deck, they had a sign with pipes you could look through where they labeled different things you could see (like the Air Force base, other mountain peaks, etc).
The ride up and down made some of the kids a little nervous, but otherwise, they had a good time.
Returning to Pennsylvania
Due to some health concerns with Katie’s grandfather, we decided to cut our stay in Albuquerque short and return to Pennsylvania to visit him. It was a long trek (25 hours!), but we made it safely back and have been able to spend some time with him and the rest of our family.
On our way back we stopped briefly in Texas at Cadillac Ranch. The kids were able to spray-paint the half-buried cars there. It was a nifty little stop on our way by.
Overall we had a better time in New Mexico than we expected! We might come back and visit again in the future.
